Pokemon X and Y: Naruto style
by Gallade
Summary: Young Sakura Haruno has just moved to the Kalos region and, together with her new friends, she is going on the adventure of a lifetime! In which Naruto characters have replaced Pokemon trainers. Rated for language, this may change depending on future content.
1. Chapter 1: Welcome to Kalos!

**Hello everyone! This will be updated as regularly as possible, as it is going to be a long multi-chapter fic. Please, read and review, tell me what you think, and thank you for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Pokemon, no one on here does, blah blah blah... I only own the ideas here**

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* * *

**Chapter 1: Welcome to Kalos!**

Ah, the Kalos region! Such beauty, such splendor! It is known worldwide as the most romantic of location in the Pokémon universe. In this highly dynamic and ever-changing world, one of the only constants is the aroma of baguettes and coffee.

_C'est tr__è_s magnifique!

It is a place where romance blooms, up-and-coming fashion designers flourish, and bakers are just as sought-after as the croissants they so lovingly bake.

It is also a place where young Pokémon trainers find their calling. Only a select few can achieve the greatness that they strive so hard for, but never does one regret traveling with Pokémon.

_C'est la vie!_

"I do not like this one bit." Sakura complained sourly. "Tell me again why we had to leave Kanto?"

Sakura's mother gave her a sweet smile, ignoring her daughter's huffiness. "Because, Sakura," she began, her eyes fixated on the road as she drove the large rental van. "I thought it would be a nice change of scenery. I've lived in Kanto my entire life and so have you. Don't you want to see what else is out there?"

Sakura puffed out her cheeks slightly in contempt and stared out the passenger window. No, as a matter of fact, _she didn't_. She had all of her sixteen years invested in her life at home, why should she be forced to uproot it and move now? It was incredibly insulting that her mother didn't take her feelings about the matter into consideration. Didn't she know that, for once, Sakura was _actually_ beginning to have a life in Kanto!?

She sighed and thought about it. Well, it wasn't exactly true... Back in Fuchsia city, her only friend had been her mother. She was shy and introverted, preferring to read and stay inside alone.

It didn't help that the only people nearly her age was a group - a clique - of girls who loved gossip and spreading rumors.

It _also_ didn't help that the leader of the clique was none other than the town's gym leader, Janine. The clique made it a point to ruin Sakura's life in every way they could.

Everyone loved Janine for reasons completely unknown to Sakura. She was a stuck up little snob who floated through life on daddy's money and fame. Sakura wrinkled her nose in disgust just thinking about it.

Janine was such a bitch.

Sakura smiled a victorious little smirk, celebrating the fact that she'd never have to deal with that bitch or her sheep friends ever again.

"You know, honey, this is a wonderful opportunity..." Sakura's mother said, looking at her daughter with worried eyes. "I'm not doing this to hurt you..."

Sakura closed her eyes and smiled. "It's fine mom, really."

"We're almost to our new home," her mother said in an attempt to lighten the mood. "That's exciting, right?"

Sakura sat up and looked out the van window, taking in the scenery for the first time.

Kanto didn't have this much untouched wilderness, _that_ was for sure. Sakura's emerald eyes widened as she watched the trees pass by, the truck rolling along on a dirt road through a thin forest. She felt her stomach tighten slightly at the thought of living in this strange foreign land.

And meeting new people.

And having to interact with said people.

The knot tightened in her stomach more.

Shaking her head, she sighed. Sakura the introvert just _had_ to go. She straightened up again, a smile ghosting over her face.

Why, she had the perfect opportunity presenting itself to her right now! A new region, a new Sakura! No one knew her here and no one could hold her back!

The ghost of a smile grew into a real one, her teeth showing. Why hadn't this occurred to her before? She'd been too busy sulking about the negatives to realize this was a blessing in disguise! Nothing was stopping her from being the Sakura she wanted to be.

Turning to her mom, her eyes sparkling with new life, Sakura said, "I'm sorry I've been so resistant this whole time... I think moving is a good idea."

Her mom smiled and stared ahead at the road. "I'm glad you finally see that, sweetie. And we're almost in our new hometown! Isn't that exciting? We should arrive any minute now."

Sakura felt her stomach knot return full-force. Would she like the new house? What if the town was awful? What if there were people like Janine? Well, there were bound to be people like Janine somewhere out there, but...

Would there be anyone her age? Would she make friends?

"Ah look, honey, we're here!"

They had parked without her even noticing. Looking out from the windshield of the van, Sakura could see that they were in front of a charming little house tucked neatly into the corner of this small grassy town. There was a nicely-sized front yard, which brought a smile to Sakura's face. Rhyhorn would definitely like it here.

Rhyhorn was a family pet, more or less. Her mother, Grace, was a champion Rhyhorn racer back in Kanto, and now that her racing days were pretty much over, Rhyhorn had retired from competition. Now it just liked to sleep on the front lawn and, in its eyes, protect the Haruno family from strangers. Sakura knew that Rhyhorn was nothing but a big cuddle monster, but potential thieves didn't.

"Is this really our new house?" Sakura asked, unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the van, not once taking her eyes off the house. It looked like something out of a fairy tale - petite lacy vines were growing along the sides of the house, which was a delicate shade of pastel blue. Slate gray shingles lined the roof and perfect white shutters were closed over the windows. The plush green lawn was unbelievably trim and neat; a rather large patch of soil for gardening was situated up against the fence.

Mrs. Haruno got out of the car and clasped her hands together delightedly. "Isn't this wonderful?"

Sakura looked at the eager grin that lit up her Mom's face. It had been a while since she'd seen her like this, but she felt a warmth spreading in her chest at the notion. It made her feel so fuzzy inside to know that mom was actually happy.

"It's really something, mom," Sakura agreed. "It's almost unreal."

"What are we waiting for? Let's check out the inside and start moving our stuff inside!"

Sakura stared at the house, a light breeze ruffling her cotton candy colored hair. With an eager grin, she nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

It had taken a majority of the day to move everything inside. It's not that they had a lot of stuff, seeing as it was just the two of them, but they hadn't exactly worked all the way through the day. They stopped here and there to relax on their new couch, enjoy the lunches they had packed, talk, relax, and most importantly decide where everything should go.

In the end, Sakura ended up getting the large bedroom upstairs, complete with a large closet to fit all of her clothes. She was, after all, big on clothes. She wasn't a fashion snob, no, but come on... A girl has to look cute, right? No? Well, Sakura felt that a few extra outfits couldn't hurt.

She ended up falling asleep on her bed the minute she went upstairs and put the last few items in her room. Travel was tiring, and sitting in a car for several days was no exception to this.

* * *

Morning came bright and early, and Sakura woke up to the unfamiliar songs of the birds native to Kalos and the sun creeping through her window. Groaning and turning over, she hid her face under the pillow. That sun was too bright - couldn't she just get five more minutes?

As if on cue, Sakura heard a tapping on her window. Peeking out from under the pillow and blankets, she could see that it was a small bird with a gray body and a reddish head.

In her room.

Tapping on the inside of her window.

_In her room._

It tapped again on the window and sang its sweet cry before flying out of her room and into the rest of the house.

Seriously? What kind of joke was this? Here she was living in a fairy tale house and now birds were waking her up. Next thing she knew a bunch of Rattata would be sewing her a new dress and singing while they worked. She shook away the silly notion and decided she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep at this rate. Lazily rolling out of bed, she stood up slowly and stretched.

Going over to her closet, she pondered what to wear. Should she go all-out in case she met the neighbors? She hung her head and swiped a few hangers with dresses to the side. If she wore anything too fancy, she'd look ridiculous and overdone. Then again she wanted to dress to impress...

No... No, too gaudy... no, not fancy enough... Perfect!

She decided on a light blue felt hat, her blue and white high-waisted outfit, white thigh-high socks, and her black high tops. After getting dressed and checking it out in the mirror, she decided the look was perfect. Smiling, she went downstairs.

"Good morning honey!" Her mom cried from the kitchen. Sakura rounded the corner and saw her sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and a stack of letters on the table.

_That damn bird was perched on her shoulder._

"Where'd the bird come from?" Sakura asked, still slightly peeved about this morning's rather rude awakening.

Grace turned to the small bird Pokémon perched on her shoulder and chuckled. "Oh, you mean fletchling here? Why, I found him flitting around the yard this morning so I'm keeping him!"

Sakura scowled. "Great."

"You don't like him?"

"He woke me up."

"I sent him to wake you up because I've got some exciting news!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Grace stood up and clasped her hands together. "Our neighbors were over already looking for you! It seems like they knew another person your age was moving in before we even got here! They want to talk to you!"

Sakura fought the all-too-familiar knot that threatened to form in her stomach and reminded herself that now was not the time to get all nervous. They weren't necessarily going to be like Janine, after all! _She was the new confident Sakura._

"Did they say where they went?" Sakura asked. "How many were there?"

Grace put her hand on her hip and looked at her daughter thoughtfully. "Well there was a blonde girl with a lot of energy and a tall young man with really long brown hair. They said to just come over when you were ready. I guess the boy lives next door?"

Sakura smiled. "Alright mom, I'll go over and see what they wanted. Thanks!" With that, she left the house in a hurry.

"Be careful and have fun!" Mrs. Haruno cried as her daughter left.

* * *

Sakura stood at the door of the house next to hers, mentally fighting her desire to run away. All she had to do was knock... It was just that simple! Really!

But knocking on a stranger's door was difficult, especially when that stranger was a boy (a boy!) her age who came looking for her.

Cringing, she reached forward and knocked.

She heard a squeal from inside that could have only belonged to the blonde girl her mom mentioned. "Maybe it's her!" The voice cried.

"Relax, Ino..." A deep male voice replied. "Maybe it's _not_ her."

Sakura, through her still-shut eyes, heard the door open.

"What a face this one has." The male voice said dryly.

Sakura opened her eyes and grinned sheepishly at the boy who answered the door. Her face had been contorted by the cringe this entire time, and she was sure that she hadn't given the best impression.

"See Neji? I TOLD you it was her!" The girl cried, appearing by the boy's side.

"So it is," the boy (Neji, she called him?) said, his eyes narrowing.

Neji was... Well, he was nice to look at, that was sure. He had a flawless complexion with thin slanting eyebrows and beautiful, long flowing hair tied into a low ponytail. His eyes were extremely pale gray, so pale that they looked pearly. Sakura could have sworn there was no color in them, yet they were curiously luminous and intriguing. He was wearing an open blue shirt with a black and white striped shirt underneath, blue skinny jeans, and boots. On top of his head was a red outdoors hat. He was _cute_.

Sakura looked to the girl, who seemed to be a lot friendlier than her next door neighbor. She was about Sakura's height with a long blonde ponytail and gorgeous blue eyes. She was wearing a pink shirt with black bows on it, and denim short shorts with black lining. On her feet was a pair of pink strappy sandals that rose to about mid-calf. She was absolutely beautiful, and her smile was radiant.

"Hi, I'm Sakura," the pink-haired girl introduced herself, holding out her hand and smiling.

The blonde girl gave her a toothy grin and squealed, ignoring the handshake offer and immediately pulling Sakura into a big hug. "I'm Ino and I can tell that we're going to be best friends!" She cried.

Pulling away, Sakura looked at her new friend with wide eyes. She certainly wasn't expecting such a... warm... greeting.

"Nice to... Meet you?" Sakura said, the statement coming out as more of a question than she intended.

Neji looked at Ino, frowning. "Ino, you're scaring her."

Ino frowned and looked at her taller coffee-haired friend. "Like you didn't scare her to begin with?" She asked pointedly. "You're such an ice cube sometimes, Neji."

Sakura watched them argue back and forth and sweatdropped. This was _not_ what she bargained for.

"Guys, guys, don't fight, okay?" She cried, putting herself between the two. Ino ran a hand through her long blond ponytail and grinned apologetically.

"I'm sorry, let's start over ok? I'm Ino, I'm 16, and I live in that house over there. This is Neji, he's 17, and he's not as big of an asshole as he seems once you get to know him."

Sakura smiled in response. The blonde just had something about her that was warm and inviting. Perhaps Ino was right - they _could_ become fast friends.

"Well I'm Sakura, I'm 16, and I just moved here from Kanto."

Ino's bright blue eyes widened. "Wow that's so cool!"

Neji's facial expression didn't change. "So why are you here?"

Sakura frowned, her face becoming red with embarrassment. "Wow, you're so rude," she said aloud.

Neji rolled his eyes and looked at his shoes.

"You ASS!" Ino cried, shoving the taller boy lightly. "Can't you be nice?"

Sakura stared at him, her face still pink. Had they really called her over just to embarrass and insult her? Why, this was Janine 2.0!

"Listen, I'm gonna go... It was nice meeting you Ino. Neji."

With a nod, Sakura turned to leave.

"Wait!" Ino cried, reaching out and putting a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Don't go yet!"

Sakura turned around again, looking her pink-clad neighbor in the eye. "Why _shouldn't_ I? It's pretty clear to me that Neji doesn't want me around."

Ino bit her lip. "Don't mind him; he's in a real mood today. I want you to meet our other two friends, ok? I know they'll be thrilled to meet you!"

Sakura furrowed her brow. "O...kay. I guess," she said rather hesitantly.

"Oh don't be shy! Come on, let's go!" Ino grabbed Sakura by the wrist and led her outside of Neji's yard.

"Come along, asshole!" She cried, looking back at Neji.

"Ino, I can walk myself, you can let go," Sakura said gently.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" The blonde cried, releasing Sakura's wrist. "I'm just so excited to have a girl in the group, that's all. Please forgive me."

Sakura smiled. "It's fine!" She said, trying to be cheerful. It was hard to keep positive with that brown-haired happiness killer insulting her, but she would try to salvage this day.

"The others should be in the meeting spot in Aquacorde town. It's just a short walk north from here. Let's go!"

Ino and Sakura began walking through the small grassy town, a sulky Neji following close behind. After walking through a short wooded path, they found themselves in a cute little town with tables and chairs set up along the stone walkway.

"Over here!" A voice cried.

Sakura turned to Ino, who was waving enthusiastically. "Hey guys!" She cried. Ino turned to Sakura and gave her a smile. "Allons-y!"

Sakura followed Ino and Neji to a table where two other boys were sitting. One had a spiky ponytail and a lazy expression on his face. He was clad in a green sweater vest over a white collared shirt, a green backpack on his shoulders. The other was a heavyset young man with long reddish brown hair, tan shorts, and a black t shirt with a vanillish on it. He had a pleasant expression on his face and one hand in a bag of chips.

"Choji, Shikamaru!" Ino cried. The two boys at the table stood up and greeted Ino with hugs before taking their seats again. The three from Vaniville town sat down at the table.

"This is Sakura!" Ino introduced. "Sakura, this is Shikamaru and this is Choji."

Shikamaru, the one with the spiky ponytail, gave Sakura a lazy smile. "Nice to meet you."

Choji, the one who was loudly munching on chips, spoke up next. "Nice to meet you Sakura! I'm Choji!"

Ino leaned forward eagerly in her seat. "So, Shika, why'd you call all of us here?"

Shikamaru's face lit up as he pulled off his backpack and placed it in his lap. "I received word from the professor the other day. He sent over Pokémon for the three of you, and Pokédexes for the five of us."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Wait, _Pokémon_? _Pokédexes_?"

Neji shot Sakura an annoyed look. "You _do_ know what Pokémon are, correct?" He asked condescendingly.

Sakura's face reddened. "As a matter of fact I _do_, smartass."

Choji grinned and clapped a little. "I like her, she's so sassy!" He said excitedly.

Sakura grinned. _Sassy Sakura, not shy Sakura!_

"Anyways, I was only asking because I mean... We get Pokémon?"

Shikamaru smiled and nodded, unzipping his backpack and reaching inside for something. He pulled out a bunch of Pokédexes and a cylindrical container. "Everyone gets a pokédex," he said, passing them out.

"And unfortunately the professor only sent three starter Pokémon, so two of us don't get to pick. I, for one, am willing to give up my starter. I've got my trusty Pikachu already."

Choji smiled politely. "You guys can all take a starter. I'm not huge into serious battling. All I want are Pokémon to perform with me."

Sakura looked at him inquisitively. "Perform?" She asked.

Choji nodded. "I just LOVE dancing and singing and acting! My ultimate dream is to put on musicals with my Pokémon by my side!"

Shikamaru nodded, putting a hand on Choji's shoulder. "Choji here is a great singer and dancer," he said, vouching for his friend.

Choji blushed. "Aw shucks."

"I'm mostly interested in completing the pokédex, not battling, so you guys feel free to take your pick," Shikamaru said.

"Well that's just so great!" Ino cried, leaning onto the table excitedly. "I think Sakura should pick first though. I'll be happy with whatever Pokémon I get."

Sakura stared at the canister that Shikamaru had set on the table. "Are you sure it's okay?" She asked hesitantly.

"Of course!"

Shikamaru pushed the container towards Sakura and smiled encouragingly. Sakura looked at the three red pokéballs indecisively, wondering what could be inside each. Finally, she closed her hand around the pokeball on the right and picked it up.

Neji snorted and reached across the table. "Well I guess I'll choose this one then," he said, picking up the pokéball on the left.

Ino looked at the one remaining pokeball and grinned. "That means this little cutie is mine!" She said, taking the pokéball and cradling it in her hands.

After a few moments of quiet, Ino finally looked up from her pokéball. "I know!" She cried, clutching the red and white orb in her hands. "We should all have a Pokémon battle!"

"Which one of us do you want to battle, Ino?" Neji asked pleasantly. Sakura shrunk in her seat, taken aback by the startling contrast in his tone when he talked to the blonde. Why was he so rude to _just_ her?

Ino met Sakura's emerald gaze. "I want to battle Sakura!" She cried, standing up from the table and moving to the clear space of the walkway.

Wide-eyed, Sakura looked at Ino in fear. "Why me?" She asked.

"Duh! I just met you and there's no better way to become good friends than with a Pokémon battle!"

Sakura begged to differ, but there would be no convincing the energetic blonde otherwise.

"I guess we can battle," Sakura said, breaking out into a smile. Maybe this would be fun. Taking her place across from Ino, she took a ready stance and tossed her pokéball.

A bright white light flashed as the pokeball opened. The light faded and a small blue frog Pokémon was left standing there. "Froak?" It croaked.

Ino leaned with her hands resting on her knees. "Awww, how cute! Sakura's got herself a cute little Froakie!" She cried.

Sakura looked at the frog Pokémon standing before her and smiled. "So, Froakie's your name?" She said softly. Froakie turned and looked at its trainer, giving a bright smile. "Froak, Froakie!" It cried.

Ino looked at the pokéball in her hands and gave it a toss. "Go, pokéball!" She cried.

When the bright light faded, everyone could see a small yellow foxlike Pokémon with orange fur in its ears.

Ino squealed loudly. "EEEE it's a Fennekin!"

Fennekin looked back at its trainer and yipped excitedly. "Fen, Fennekin!"

"Let's get this battle started!" The excitable blonde cried. "Fennekin, start off with scratch!"

"Dodge it, Froakie!" Sakura cried, her heart pounding. Sure the Pokémon were weak right now, but this was EXCITING. She'd never battled on her own before!

Fennekin leaped forward and swiped its claws at the frog, who jumped out of the way just in time.

"Now Froakie, use bubble!" Sakura said with a smile. Froakie puffed out its cheeks and let loose a stream of bubbles.

"Watch out, Fennekin!" Ino ordered.

Fennekin weaved in and out of the stream of bubbles headed its way, nimbly avoiding most of them.

"Don't let it escape, Froakie, use more bubbles!" Sakura instructed.

Froakie blew more bubbles at the fox Pokémon. It was a direct hit!

"Yes! Awesome job Froakie!" Sakura encouraged. "You're doing great!"

Fennekin stumbled forward and collapsed, its eyes closed. "Fen..." It cried weakly.

Ino widened her eyes and ran up to her Pokémon. "Fennekin, are you alright?" She asked worriedly.

Neji scoffed. "I'd say we have a winner. The match is over, Ino. Don't push Fennekin too hard, okay?"

Ino picked up the tiny fox and cradled it. "That was a great battle, Fennekin. You did your best and I'm so proud of you."

Fennekin smiled and licked Ino's cheek. "Kin!"

Ino giggled and pulled out fennekin's pokeball. "You take a nice long rest, okay?" The fox Pokémon disappeared in a flash of red light.

Froakie turned to Sakura with a bright smile. "Froakie!"

Sakura crouched down and opened her arms, an invitation that was gladly received by the bubble frog Pokémon. It hopped up to its trainer and gladly gave her a hug. Standing up, Sakura held Froakie tight. "You were so great, Froakie!" She said joyfully, returning it to its pokeball.

The group of friends ran up to Sakura and congratulated her. "You were great, Sakura!" Choji cried. "The way your Pokémon danced, why, it made me want to join in!" He did a little thing with his feet and spun around once.

Sakura giggled. It was kind of adorable to watch Choji dance. For a big guy, he sure could move!

"That was actually pretty cool," Shikamaru said. "Not as troublesome as I thought it'd be."

Ino squealed and grabbed a hold of Sakura's shoulders, jumping up and down excitedly. "Wasn't that fun?!" She cried. "You were so great! You're a natural with Pokémon!"

"She got lucky with the type matchups, that's all." Neji said rudely.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at Neji, trying to hold in the slew of words that he was just SO deserving of right now...

She did her best to ignore the rude comment.

"Anyways guys, Choji and I are going to head out to the next route. I want to catch some Pokémon." Shikamaru said.

"See you guys!" Choji said with a wave. He turned to walk away when he stopped. "Oh, Sakura!" He cried, turning back around and digging in his bag. "I have a letter for your mother. It's from the professor."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. Jeez, it was like everyone knew about her arrival in Kalos before she did!

She accepted the letter and waved goodbye as the two friends headed out of town.

"I'm going to stay in Aquacorde for a little, okay? Fennekin needs a rest. Make sure to go stop at home!" Ino said cheerfully.

"I'm going to stay here for a little too. I haven't had breakfast yet, so I'm going to eat here," Neji said. "You will be returning, I assume?"

Sakura hadn't thought about that. This whole Pokémon thing happened so fast... She supposed that now she would have to head out on her own journey.

In Kanto, the thought would have made her squirm uncomfortably, but here she was ready.

She was ready _and_ determined.

With a smile and a nod, she replied, "I will be, I just have to say goodbye to my mom. Do you want anything? I'm sure I can grab some breakfast for you."

"No, I'm good, thank you," Neji replied curtly.

Sakura smiled and nodded. "So I guess I'll see you when I get back to Aquacorde?"

Neji rolled his eyes and turned to walk away. "Hmph, maybe."

Sakura felt her face get hot with embarrassment. _What a jerk he was!_

She turned and walked along the path back to Vaniville, staring at the envelope in her hands. She wanted to know what the professor had to say to her mom! But she wasn't the prying type, and reading her Mom's mail wasn't something she'd do.

Instead, she studied the neat handwriting on the envelope. She assumed that the Pokémon professor of Kalos, if anything like professor Oak of Kanto, was a very busy man with a lot on his plate, but judging by his beautiful scrawling handwriting, the stress didn't affect his penmanship.

The walk was pretty short, and before she knew it, she was right in front of her own house again.

Approaching the front door, she spied Rhyhorn napping in the garden and chuckled. She was right in assuming this would be a favorite spot of his.

Opening the front door slowly, she walked in and was instantly greeted by a very loud and very annoying fletchling.

"...Awesome..." She mumbled, the bird Pokémon perching on top of her hat. "Mom, I'm back!" She cried, shutting the door behind her and looking around. "Mom?"

"Hi honey, back so soon?"

Sakura turned and looked at the staircase to see her mom walking downstairs. Fletchling flew to Grace's shoulder, much to Sakura's relief.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be back yet?"

"Well I just thought... Oh, never mind. Did you find your friends?"

Sakura smiled. "As a matter of fact, I did! We went to Aquacorde town and the most amazing thing happened! Shikamaru gave us Pokédexes, and Ino, Neji, and I got Pokémon, and -"

Her mom threw her arms around Sakura, hugging her tight. "I knew it!"

"Wait, what did you know?"

Her mom held her at an arm's length, a bright smile on her face. "Before we moved here, I contacted the professor and asked him if he needed anyone to complete the pokédex, and we were exchanging letters about it for a while. He said he'd be delighted to let you work on the pokédex, and he said he had his eye on a few teenagers already!"

Well, that explained why everyone knew about her before she got here.

"That reminds me," Sakura began. "Choji gave me a letter to give to you. He said it's from the professor."

She handed the envelope to her mother, who eagerly tore open the seal and pulled out the letter inside. The discarded envelope fluttered to the floor, forgotten.

Her Mom's eyes rapidly scanned the page and a toothy grin soon took over her face.

"What's it say?" Sakura asked worriedly.

Her mom folded it up and tucked it into her pocket. "It was a letter welcoming us to Kalos. It seems that the professor wants to meet you and your friends in person." She said delightedly.

"So I guess this really is it..." Sakura said breathlessly. "I'm going to be going on a journey."

Mrs. Haruno looked at her daughter proudly, her eyes brimming with tears. "I always knew my little Sakura would go on an adventure of her own someday!"

She pulled Sakura into another bone-crushing hug. "I guess this is goodbye then."

Sakura smiled and hummed. "You know it's only goodbye for now mom! I'll come back and visit when I can, and I'll call you all the time and -"

"Shhh," her mom shushed her. Releasing her from the hug, she straightened out her shirt and smiled sadly. "Sweetie, don't worry about that, okay? I mean, do keep me posted, but... Don't forget to have fun."

Sakura smiled warmly. "I love you mom."

...

...

* * *

**That's it for the first chapter! Suggestions and constructive criticisms are welcome, but keep in mind that I do have an idea of where I'm going with this. Please review if you can, it really makes my day!**

**This will be updated when possible, but I'm an uptight college student who takes her studies way too seriously and I might not have time now and again.**

**Thank you! -Gallade**


	2. Chapter 2: On the Road to Santalune

**Chapter 2: On the Road to Santalune!**

Sakura arrived in Aquacorde for the second time that day, the hot afternoon sun shining brightly. After scanning the place where they all sat earlier, she determined that her friends - and Neji - must've moved on by now.

"I wonder when I'll see them again," Sakura muttered to herself. She walked through the tiny town to its northern exit. A sign read "Route 2: Avance trail." Sakura patted the large pocket of the bag that she had slung over her shoulder and felt Froakie's pokéball. She smiled, relieved. Exploring the next route wouldn't be quite as nerve-wracking with the cheery little frog by her side.

After walking a little ways into the route, she heard a familiar female cry.

"Sakuraaaaa!"

She squinted, shielding her eyes from the sun with a hand, and saw a blonde girl and a tall dark-haired boy.

Ino and... *cringe* ...Neji.

"Hey guys!" She said, running up to them. "What's up?"

Ino jumped up and down excitedly. "You're here just in time! Neji was about to show me how to catch a Pokémon! Watch with me!"

Sakura bit her lip. "I'm not so sure if I'm wanted here..."

Neji gave an arrogant smirk. "Nonsense! I think this is a lesson you could use."

Sakura sighed and crossed her arms. _The nerve!_

"Alright girls, the first thing you do when you want to catch a Pokémon is walk around in the tall grass until a wild Pokémon jumps out at you. Watch this."

Neji stood in a patch of tall grass and looked around, crouching.

"What makes him the authority on Pokémon?" Sakura asked Ino moodily.

"Don't you know? Well I guess you wouldn't... Neji is from a family of great Pokémon trainers. He's been waiting for this his entire life."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "But what gives him the right to be so rude all the time?"

"To be honest, he's acting really weird around you. I mean, he's not _friendly_ per se, but he's usually more of a quiet guy than anything. Just give him some time, he'll turn around."

Sakura frowned and opened her mouth to say something, but the two girls were distracted by Neji.

"Here we go!" He cried. The girls turned and ran to Neji's side and saw that he was standing opposite a gray Pokémon with large ears and buck teeth.

"A Bunnelby!" Ino cried, pulling out her pokédex. Sakura followed suit.

"Now the first thing you have to do is weaken the Pokémon, but not enough to make it faint" Neji instructed. "Go Fletchling!"

Sakura sighed. More damn birds. "When did he catch that thing?" She muttered. Didn't he _just_ receive his first Pokémon earlier?

The small bird Pokémon popped out of the pokéball and took a ready stance.

"Tackle!"

Fletchling charged at the Bunnelby, taking flight and slamming into it.

Bunnelby stumbled backwards, the wind knocked out of it.

"And now you throw the pokéball!" Neji continued, pulling an unused pokéball out of his bag and tossing it.

The pokéball landed on Bunnelby and opened up. Bunnelby disappeared inside and the pokéball shook a few times. When it stopped shaking and made a clicking noise, Neji picked it up and held it out to show the girls.

"And THAT's how you catch a Pokémon," Neji said confidently.

Ino gasped. "The Pokémon goes _IN_ the pokéball?!"

Sakura looked at her, frowning. Really? Did she not just use fennekin's pokéball earlier? She began to wonder if that blonde stereotype was true or if Ino really just didn't know anything about Pokémon.

Neji nodded. "That's right, Ino." He said, smiling.

Sakura scoffed. Now, if _she_ had asked a question like that, he would have criticized her up and down. She thought about that for a moment and widened her eyes. Perhaps they were dating or something? That could be why he was being so kind to Ino but not her.

It all made sense! Ino said he wasn't exactly a friendly person, but he was so gentle and caring around her and acted courteous to the guys. He was just so... abrasive around her. Maybe that was just his way of telling her he was off-limits? As if she'd even want to date that monstrosity of a person...

She had to ask Ino to clear things up a bit.

"Now you guys can catch your own Pokémon," Neji said. "Here, I have some pokéball for the both of you."

He handed Ino a handful of small unused pokéballs and did the same for Sakura.

"I'm going to move on ahead and catch more Pokémon. I suggest you two do the same," he said, leaving with a tip of his hat.

Well alright, that was _sort of_ nice of him... And he didn't do anything to indicate that he was dating Ino. Still...

"So um... Can I ask you something?" Sakura began.

Ino turned to her and nodded, putting the pokéballs in her bag. "What's up?"

Sakura dug the toe of her shoe into the dirt and looked down nervously. "Well I don't know... I mean, Neji is so rude to me, but he treats you so differently. Are you two... _You know_..."

Ino widened her eyes, realizing what her pink-haired friend was getting at. "Ohhhhh! You mean you think we're _dating_?"

Sakura looked at her friend sheepishly. "Well I don't know, I was just looking for an explanation..."

Ino shook her head. "No, Neji and I aren't dating. We've just grown up together and we fight like a married couple because we've been friends for so long. I agree, he can be a real douche, but just keep taking no crap from him and he'll warm up eventually."

Sakura smiled, relieved.

Wait, _relieved_? Why would she be relieved?

It was because she said he'd warm up, _duh_.

_Not_ because he's single.

"Anyways, Sakura, I'm gonna train my little Fennekin, alright? I'll see you in a bit!" Ino said, heading off down the route.

"Alright Ino, see you!"

Sakura reached in her bag and pulled out Froakie's pokéball. "Looks like we have some training to do too, buddy," she said aloud, tossing the ball.

Froakie appeared in a flash of white light. "You ready for some training?" Sakura asked eagerly. Froakie gave her a determined smile and croaked in agreement.

With a bag full of pokéballs and an eager attitude, the two stepped in the tall grass and began to search for other Pokémon.

An hour or so and several victorious battles later (three Pidgey, two Fletchling, a Scatterbug, and two Bunnelby to be exact, but who's counting?), Sakura and Froakie decided it was time to move on.

None of the Pokémon on this route were particularly eye-catching as far as Sakura was concerned, much to her disappointment. She wanted to catch a Pokémon and build up her team a little, but it would be silly to catch something she didn't have her heart set on, right?

Still... Neji had two Pokémon already - three if you counted Bunnelby - and Ino had surely captured something else by now.

"Well, Froakie, looks like it's just you and me," Sakura said to the pokéball in her hand. She wasn't sure if the Pokémon inside could hear, but she liked to believe they could. "You did great with your training."

"Quit talking to yourself and battle me!" A young male voice cried. Sakura looked up, surprised. A young boy ran up to her. "My name's Austin and I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"

"What if I don't want to?"

The boy crossed his arms impatiently. "Aww c'mon! Don't you know the rules? If two trainers' eyes meet, you have to battle!"

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek lightly and drew in a short breath. She certainly wasn't counting on this, but the challenge wasn't unwelcome. This would be her first battle with another trainer, not counting the one she had with Ino.

"Fine then, you're on!" Sakura said with a determined smile. "Go Froakie!"

"Go Zigzagoon!" Austin cried, tossing a pokéball. A small quadrupedal Pokémon with brown and white fur popped out of the ball.

Sakura pulled out her pokédex. "Zigzagoon, the tiny raccoon Pokémon. It walks in zigzag fashion. It's good at finding items in the grass and even in the ground."

"Alright Froakie, pay attention to how it moves," Sakura warned.

Austin smirked confidently. "It doesn't matter if Froakie watches or not, my Zigzagoon is too fast anyways! Go, use tackle!"

Zigzagoon began to charge at the blue frog, zigzagging as it ran.

"Watch out Froakie!"

Before Froakie could respond, Zigzagoon slammed into it. "Froak!" The frog cried, falling to the ground.

"Again!" Austin commanded.

"Dodge it Froakie, and counter with pound!"

Froakie got up and leaped out of the way just in time. Zigzagoon charged past, unable to change its path in time. The frog leaped at Zigzagoon, legs extended.

"Counter with your growl attack!" Austin said.

Zigzagoon turned around and let out a shrill bark. Froakie stopped and covered its ears (wait, does Froakie even _have_ ears?).

"Tackle again."

"Froakie, get out of the way!" Sakura cried, becoming worried. This battle wasn't going nearly as well for her as the previous one had... Perhaps Neji was right, she had gotten lucky before.

Froakie jumped out of the way and released a stream of bubbles from its mouth. Zigzagoon's eyes widened comically as it was covered head-to-toe in a layer of bubbles. The bubbles stuck in Zigzagoon's fur still intact.

"No! Zigzagoon, you look silly!"

The tiny raccoon Pokémon charged at Froakie, baring its teeth. Froakie gave it a confident grin and stood its ground.

"Froakie, what are you doing?" Sakura cried. "Get out of the way, you'll get hurt!"

Froakie didn't budge. Instead, it shot even more bubbles at Zigzagoon.

This time, the bubbles popped loudly upon impact, causing the layer of bubbles caught in Zigzagoon's fur to pop as well. Zigzagoon closed its eyes and braced itself. It looked like it was in pain.

Sakura watched on silently. She wasn't quite sure how bubbles could cause damage, but this seemed to be the most effective thing against the raccoon.

Froakie seemed to know what it was doing without her... All of her commands had done little to no damage, and yet when left to its own devices, Froakie was doing better already.

Maybe Neji _was_ right. She wasn't such a good trainer after all, and even her Pokémon knew it.

"Froak?"

Sakura looked at the blue frog Pokémon now standing by her feet. "Froakie?"

The frog nodded, tugging at Sakura's sock. It turned and pointed at Austin, who was kneeling down next to a sopping wet Zigzagoon.

"Is the battle over?" Sakura asked, confused. Froakie her a grin. "Fro, Froakie!"

"I guess I was more distracted than I thought," Sakura said, putting a hand to her forehead. "I'm so sorry for being a horrible trainer."

Froakie tilted its head, puzzled. Sakura was a great trainer, what was she talking about?

"You did great though, Froakie, I'm proud of you!"

Sakura and Froakie approached Austin, who was still crouched next to his fainted Pokémon.

"Great battle, miss! What's your name?" He asked.

Sakura was taken aback. "It's Sakura, but I don't think you should congratulate me, I didn't do anything, I-"

Austin chuckled a little. "Of course you did _something_, you trained that awesome Froakie! That was the first battle I lost!"

After pausing, he sheepishly admitted, "Actually, that was my first battle at all."

"Wait, really? But you were so confident! I really thought I was going to lose," Sakura said. "Your Zigzagoon was so good!"

Austin smiled and stood up, returning his Zigzagoon. "Thanks, but it was no match for Froakie! You just gotta be more confident and trust your Pokémon."

Sakura called back Froakie and offered a handshake. Austin nodded and accepted. "Thanks for a fun battle," he said, walking back into the tall grass.

Sakura eyed the pokéball in her hand nervously - Froakie had taken quite a bit of damage in that battle. Perhaps it would be best to have it checked out at the makeshift Pokémon center back in Aquacorde...

She decided to turn back

After healing and a short break, Sakura found herself at the end of Avance trail once again. A large forest loomed ahead, and with a gulp and a clutch of her bag strap, she began to head down the dark trail into the trees.

After her eyes adjusted to the reduced light, she could see that there was a clearing at the end of this narrow tunnel-like path. She followed it to the end, feeling somewhat uneasy. This forest wasn't exactly her ideal place to travel, especially with her lack of familiarity with the region and the local Pokémon.

"Hey!" A now-familiar female voice cried. Sakura looked ahead and saw Ino running towards her. She smiled and gave a heavy sigh, feeling somewhat relieved that she wasn't alone. These woods were kind of creepy.

"Ino! I'm so glad you're here!" Sakura exclaimed, a friendly smile on her face. Ino clasped her hands together, a worried look on her face. "I'm sooooo glad it's you. Do you think that maybe… um… well actually I'm kind of afraid… can we maybe walk together?" She asked sheepishly.

Truthfully, Sakura was happy to oblige. This was the biggest leap she was taking with Froakie as of yet and this huge forest would be a much less intimidating endeavor if she paired with a friend. Besides, she was _really_ good at getting lost and this forest would surely be the end of her Pokémon career if she went alone.

"I'd love to!" Sakura said in agreement. "Have you ever been in this forest before?"

Ino shook her head. "Nope! Neji said it's like a winding maze though, and I got really scared when he said there were lots of bugs in here. That's why I didn't want to go in alone. But if you do the battling, I'll heal up your Pokémon for you whenever you want, okay?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. So really she was only working as a human shield for Ino here. Still, it was a fair enough tradeoff – she could do all of the training she wanted to do and Ino would make sure Froakie stayed healthy. Really it was a win-win situation!

Plus, she could get stronger and show Neji a thing or two!

"Let's get a move on so we can get out of here," Sakura said, eyeing the tree line nervously as a bush rustled. This place was creepy.

Ino nodded in agreement. The two walked deeper into the forest and through the tall grass, following the well-worn path as best they could.

As they walked, Sakura took in the surroundings. It wasn't so scary with a friend by her side. She could see the sun peeking through the tallest tree branches, tinted green from the abundant foliage and dappling the ground below with little points of light. The air was thick with the earthy scent of wet dirt and leaf litter. Sakura's ears were filled with the hum of insects and trilling of bird Pokémon in the treetops. It was beautiful, it was peaceful, it was... serene.

"Is that Shikamaru and Choji up ahead?" Ino cried, pointing to a small clearing. Sure enough, Sakura could see a lean figure with a green sweater vest and a larger figure with long auburn hair. They seemed to be searching the tall grass for something.

Ino's eyes lit up excitedly. Grabbing Sakura's wrist, she ran up ahead to meet the two friends.

"Ino sure seems to love her friends," Sakura thought to herself, desperately trying to keep up as she was dragged along in an awkward wrist hold. "She seems more excited to see them than me."

She shook her head, trying to shake the lack of confidence that defined the old Sakura.

Silly me, of _course_ she loves them more! She's only known me for half a day. For all I know she's known these guys for her entire life. Still... She chose me to travel with! That's something, right?

Ino ran up to her two friends and hugged Choji first, followed by Shikamaru.

"Ino, it's _you_," Shikamaru drawled, looking somewhat disgruntled. His eyes darted to the cotton-candy-haired trainer standing behind the blonde, a smile growing on his face. "And Sakura too."

Choji gave Sakura a quick squeeze. "It's great to see you guys!" He said, a bright smile playing on his round cheeks.

Sakura returned the smile and looked between the three friends, a strange but welcome sensation filling her chest. Her worry was replaced with joy at the realization that they really truly were happy to see her!

"What have you guys been up to?" Sakura asked warmly.

"Choji here wants to catch a Pokémon, so I'm helping him out," Shikamaru said, gesturing towards the tall grass they were standing in.

Ino clasped her hands together. "Are you looking for any Pokémon in particular, Choj'?" She asked. "Sakura and I could help look too, right Sakura?"

Sakura nodded, digging out Froakie's pokéball. "You bet!"

Choji grinned. "I'm looking for a specific Pokémon actually. You see, I've always loved Butterfree and I saw a whole bunch of them when we first started exploring so I wanted to catch one."

"There should be Caterpie around here," Shikamaru said simply. "We haven't been able to find any yet though. You guys sure you want to help?"

"Of course!" Sakura said. "I'm gonna go look in that patch of grass over there, alright?"

"Good idea," Shikamaru said, bringing a hand to the back of his neck and sighing. "We should all probably split up to cover more ground. Choji will stick with me because he doesn't have Pokémon, but you girls will be fine by yourselves right? Call on your holo caster if you find anything and we'll meet back here."

Ino and Sakura nodded and split up in search for a Caterpie. Sakura moved to a patch of grass surrounded by trees on three sides. It was nestled neatly into the tree line and it was cool and shady. This seemed like the perfect place for young bug Pokémon to hide.

"Go, Froakie!" Sakura said, pressing the button in the center of the pokéball. The energetic little frog appeared in a flash of white light. "Froak, Froakie!" It croaked, looking up at its trainer eager for a command.

"Hi Froakie! We're looking for a Caterpie for Choji, alright? Can you search with me?" Sakura asked gently, crouching down to eye level.

Froakie widened its eyes eagerly and nodded, hopping into the tall grass near Sakura's feet. Sakura squinted and looked into the trees beyond the path and realized why the path didn't extend back there - the trees were dense and tall and very little light made its way through the canopy of leaves. That seemed like the perfect place for bug Pokémon to hide. Now if only she could know for sure...

"Froak!" The bubble frog Pokémon cried. Sakura returned her attention to her immediate surroundings and found her Pokémon covered in a mass of sticky threads.

"Froakie, what happened?" Sakura asked worriedly, watching the frog try to untangle itself. She knelt down and began to free the struggling frog. After the last silky strings were pulled off, Froakie gave itself a quick shake down and pointed at a nearby tree. "Froakie."

Sure enough, there was a small green caterpillar with large black eyes and red antennae on its head. Sakura smirked knowingly. There were tons of Caterpie back in Kanto and she'd seen them dozens of times. She was correct in assuming they'd live in this area of the forest.

She punched in a few numbers on her holo caster and waited till she could hear the others pick up. There wasn't an option for holograms when you made a call to multiple people, so she would have to trust that they were listening. "Guys, I found one." She said simply. She heard Ino squeal excitedly and hung up, her message coming across clearly.

She looked back up at the tree and saw the Caterpie turn to climb higher. She gasped. "Oh _no_ you don't! Not after I told the others I found you!" She cried, grabbing a hold of a tree limb and climbing after it. "Come on Froakie!" Froakie hopped on top of her aqua blue hat and held on, knowing fully well that it wasn't a tree frog and could not climb.

For such a tiny Pokémon with stubby legs, Caterpie moved fast! It had the advantage of being light and having sticky feet to allow for climbing vertical surfaces. Now Sakura, in her high-waisted skirt and high tops, wasn't quite as lucky. She was falling behind but she didn't take her eyes off the green caterpillar Pokémon for a second. "Come on Caterpie, I don't want to hurt you!" She whispered gently, trying to keep her voice as soothing as possible to keep from spooking it. She reached for the next tree branch up and held on while she extended a leg to stand on a tree branch near her waist.

"Don't look down, don't look down," she murmured to herself softly. She felt a weight on her hat shift and knew that Froakie must be pretty frightened by now. She was sure that they were quite high up in the tree.

"You hanging in there, Froakie?" She asked. "Froaaa..." The small blue frog muttered softly. The fear was very apparent in its voice. "Would you like to return to your pokéball?"

"Froak."

Sakura steadied herself on the branch and held onto the one near her head with one hand, pulling out Froakie's pokéball with the other. She called back the little frog and put the pokéball securely in her bag, knowing that it would be safer this way. She would hate herself if something happened to her little friend.

She glanced up at the Caterpie that - thankfully - hadn't moved since she stopped. Biting her lip, Sakura reached for the next branch and put a leg up.

"Should you _really_ be climbing in a skirt?" A deep voice asked condescendingly.

Sakura lost her footing and shrieked, hastily grabbed the tree trunk to keep from falling. She held on to the tree trunk for dear life, pulling herself to a steady branch and panting. Her heart hammered in her chest - that arrogant voice belonged to the very person she wasn't too fond of.

Neji.

When her pulse stopped racing, she glanced down at the ground and saw the brunette looking up at her, a nasty expression on his face.

"What are _you_ doing here Neji?" Sakura asked in irritation.

Neji crossed his arms. "I'm wondering why the hell you're up in that tree when you clearly shouldn't be... You almost fell just now."

Sakura's facial expression hardened, her cheeks flushing angrily. "I almost fell because you scared me. Why were you looking up my skirt, you perv?!"

Neji said nothing, instead looking to the side and shifting his weight to the other foot.

"And I'm in the tree because I'm finding a Caterpie for Choji." Sakura said matter-of-factly, turning to face the tree again and reaching for a branch. "You should go away."

Neji scoffed and returned his gaze to the stubborn girl in the tree. "Actually I want to stay right here. It'll be hilarious to watch you fall on your ass."

Sakura closed her eyes and exhaled forcefully. Neji was such a jerk! She would prove him wrong! Oh yes, she would definitely catch the Caterpie now and she would look damn skilled while she was doing it. She would get the last laugh if it killed her!

Poor choice of words.

She furrowed her brow and raised herself to the next branch up. Caterpie seemed to be staying in one spot now and she was getting closer. If she just reached a little farther...

She felt the branch she was holding on to creak ominously. Before she had the time to find another branch to support her, there was a loud crack. She felt herself lean backwards a little and her heel slipped on the thin branch she had been standing on. She screamed and shut her eyes, feeling gravity take over as her heart dropped into her stomach.

She tensed up, the fall happening so blindingly quick that she couldn't think straight. She felt a sharp pain in her back and another in her side and wondered how far she had fallen and how far she still had until the hit the ground.

She felt herself hit something, and hard. The wind was knocked out of her, but she didn't seem to be falling anymore. She opened her eyes a crack and saw Neji underneath her. Her eyes flew open and she tried to back off quickly, but cried out in pain as her body refused to move. Neji grunted and opened his eyes.

"Get off of me," he growled.

She tried to move again and only succeeded in rolling over to his side. "I can't move much," she said, the pain coming through in her voice.

Neji's expression softened as he sat up and looked at the girl next to him. Her eyebrows were furrowed into a look of intense pain, her eyes tightly shut.

"I'm sorry Sakura, I didn't mean to be rude. Are you alright?"

Sakura's emerald eyes opened gently, her gaze traveling to her neighbor's - admittedly, very handsome - face. He _actually_ looked concerned. "I don't know," she said, her voice cracking. Her eyes shut in pain again and she hissed through her teeth. "That hurt pretty bad and my back is killing me. Searing pain."

Neji nodded and continued to look at Sakura with concern. "You landed pretty hard on a tree branch on your way down. That was a nasty fall."

Sakura smirked bitterly. "I hope you enjoyed watching me fall on my ass. That's what you wanted, right?"

Neji flinched, recalling his nasty words from earlier. "I didn't actually _want_ you to fall..."

Sakura frowned, wrinkling her nose slightly. Neji suddenly seemed to care... Did he maybe feel guilty for causing her fall? That must be it... He was just trying to save face.

"Do you think you can get up?" Neji asked, his voice was rich and smooth and contrasted highly with the harsh tone from earlier. Sakura frowned and attempted to sit up, moaning slightly. When she was almost upright, she winced and cried out in pain. Neji quickly knelt behind her, holding her up. "Are you alright?!" He asked in alarm.

"My back... It hurts so bad. My spine and neck are killing me." Sakura said, her voice shaky and rushed. Neji held her gently. "May I take a look?" He asked.

Sakura held her breath and thought about that for a second, but she abandoned all thought when the pain became too much to bear. She just wanted relief.

"Whatever it takes."

"Lay on your stomach," Neji instructed, gently helping Sakura roll over. She laid there and cringed. Turning was extremely difficult and she was becoming frightened at her inability to move. Just how much had she hurt herself? God, what if this was serious? Was she going to be _paralyzed_?! Did she injure her spinal cord? She shut her eyes tightly and cursed her stupidity. _Why_ had she climbed the tree in the first place?!

She felt air on the small of her back and realized that Neji had pulled her shirt up from under her skirt, exposing her skin. She began to protest but her hands were swatted away. "Shh, don't worry," Neji said softly. "I'm just looking. Now where does it hurt?"

Sakura brought her hand around to her back and gestured at the ailing area underneath the high waistband of her skirt. Neji clicked his tongue and gently laid a hand on the waistband. "May I take a look?"

Sakura winced and wondered if he had a choice. She really didn't want this jerk laying a hand on her, but he seemed genuinely concerned at the moment. She'd feel better if they weren't alone...

As if on cue, she heard footsteps crunching through fallen leaves followed by a lazy voice. "She's over here!"

The footsteps picked up pace and she could tell that Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji were here. Ino squealed and ran to Sakura's side. "What happened?!" She cried worriedly.

Sakura gave her a weak smile and Ino turned to Neji. "What the hell happened here?!" She demanded.

Neji hung his head and gave an exasperated sigh. "I happened to stop by this particular patch of tall grass when I heard rustling in the tree above. I saw Sakura pretty high up and she said she was following a Caterpie."

Choji's eyes widened and he balled his hands into fists. "Sakura, I'm sooooo sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen, the Caterpie wasn't worth you getting hurt over."

Sakura gave him a pathetic look. "Choji, I climbed the tree because I _wanted_ to, not because you made me."

"What else happened?!" Ino demanded impatiently.

Neji frowned at the blonde. "Anyways, I... I was really rude to her and she fell from about 30 or 40 feet up. She hit some branches on the way down, including one square in the middle of her back, but I broke her fall and she landed on me."

Ino gasped and looked at her pink-haired friend in horror. "Please tell me you're okay," she said worriedly, placing a hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"I think I'm okay," Sakura said, trying to reassure her friend. "My back really hurts and Neji was about to take a look at it but I'm glad you're here."

Shikamaru gave a huge relieved sigh. "You're in good hands, Sakura," he said gently, kneeling down and looking at her with worried chocolate brown eyes. "Neji here knows his stuff. He knows the pressure points and muscles and everything."

Sakura sighed and placed her forehead on the cool grass of the forest floor. At least she knew why Neji was so willing to help now - he knew what he was doing and the help was certainly welcome.

"May I go back to checking your back?" Neji asked gently.

"Mhm," Sakura said softly, wincing at the touch of his slightly cold fingers against the skin of her back. She could feel the waistband of her skirt being pulled down slowly until the area of her pain was exposed. She heard Neji hiss through his teeth and Ino gave a small squeak so she assumed it was bad.

"What is it?" She asked.

Choji clicked his tongue. "You've got a nasty black and blue bruise, Sakura. I'm so _so_ sorry. I didn't want this to happen."

"It's pretty big, from where you landed on the tree limb no doubt," Neji added. "I can't massage that out. The only way to heal is time. Is there anywhere else that hurts?"

Sakura made a pained noise and rubbed her neck. "My neck muscles are stiff, most likely from the strain of falling when my head jerked back and forth."

Neji nodded. "Right. This might hurt a little, but I promise you'll feel better afterwards."

Sakura felt long fingers stroke her neck lightly, rubbing little circles into her soft skin. Neji gradually increased the pressure, making sure to touch all of the tender skin but always returning to the same point. Sakura could almost feel the pain melting away, instead being replaced with this strangely calming numb sensation. Neji gave a final press to that particular spot he had been revisiting and backed off.

"See if you can move your neck now."

Sakura cringed as she turned to face her friends. She gasped.

She felt nothing. No pain, no stiffness.

Nothing.

"Neji, you're... You're... amazing, thank you!" Sakura cried, turning to look at him. "Do you think you could help me stand up?"

Ino nodded and took a hold of one hand, Choji grabbing the other. Gingerly, Sakura got to her feet.

Her back was throbbing and it felt like her skin was tearing open at the effort to stand. She cried out in pain and stiffly brought a hand to the offending area.

The bruise.

"I'm okay," she assured everyone. Ino brought a hand to her mouth, the worry apparent on her face. "Sakura, I'll stick by you until we get to town," she promised. "We can move as slowly as you need."

Sakura smiled at Ino, feeling the corners of her lips rise involuntarily. The thought was so sweet - her new friend was legitimately concerned and cared about her! In fact...

She looked around the circle of friends one by one. They all had their eyes fixed on her.

Choji's dark, narrow, but merry eyes were twinkling with something that could only be relief.

Shikamaru's lazy chocolate brown eyes were focused on her, a hand playing with his backpack strap and a ghost of a smile gracing his usually solemn features.

Ino's deep sapphire eyes were sparkling even in the sparse light. She smiled brightly at her pink-haired friend, the corners of her eyes becoming wet with tears. She sniffled and wiped an eye, giving a sheepish grin.

Neji's pale gray eyes were luminous and pearly, difficult to read but focused intently on her emerald orbs. His gaze was intense and sharp, but not intimidating in the least right now. His thin eyebrows were knitted together in a look of gentle concern.

Sakura blushed, looking down at her shoes. She bit her lip and cringed at the sight of blood. Her sock was dirtied and torn on her right leg, dried blood and dirt caking the skin where the sock had ripped. She sighed, somewhat saddened that her favorite socks had been ruined, but even stronger was the relief that washed over her - it was only a deep scratch. It could have been_ so_ much worse.

"Let's get out of here," Sakura said weakly. "I'm not feeling too well and I've had enough forest for one day."

Everyone mumbled their agreement and turned to leave. There was a small green caterpillar Pokémon standing in the clearing, its head tilted slightly to the side.

Choji gasped. "A Caterpie!" He cried.

Shikamaru smirked. "Go Pikachu!" He said, throwing a pokéball. A yellow mouse Pokémon appeared in a flash of light. "Pika!"

"Thunder wave!"

Pikachu tensed up and sent a weak jolt of electricity from its rosy red cheeks. Caterpie took the full hit and cringed, immobilized. Shikamaru reached into the side of his backpack and pulled out an empty pokéball. With a toss, the small Caterpie was engulfed in a stream of red light and vanished into the ball. It shook a few times and clicked.

Choji clapped his hands together gleefully. "Thanks Shikamaru!" He cried.

Neji adjusted his hat. "Now that that's settled, we can get out of here."

The five of them began down the main path once again, with Ino and Neji to support Sakura as she hobbled along slowly. They made their way for a little while until they heard a voice.

"Which one of you wants to battle me?!" A feisty young voice cried.

They turned and saw a young boy running towards them.

"Listen, this isn't really a good time..." Choji began.

The boy crossed his arms and pouted, a rather nasty expression on his face. "Why not? Got a hot date or something, tubby?"

Something frightening came over Choji's usually gentle face, chilling Sakura to her very core.

"What did you just call me?" Choji asked darkly.

The youngster smirked, knowing that he had succeeded in pushing Choji's buttons. "You heard me, chubby."

Choji's temper flared, something that Sakura hoped she would never be on the receiving end of.

"You guys move on ahead, okay?" Shikamaru said to the three from Vaniville. "We'll take care of this little brat."

Neji nodded curtly and gestured for the two girls to keep moving.

Together, the three of them had managed to carefully make their way through the forest. Trainers who normally would have challenged them let them pass when they saw blood. By the time they emerged in Santalune, night had fallen.

"I think it's about time we think about where we'll stay for the night. Ino, I want you and Sakura to spend the night in the Pokémon center. I don't want her camping out on the ground with those injuries." Neji suggested.

Ino looked at Sakura and nodded. "I think that's a good idea," she agreed.

Sakura smiled guiltily. "Guys really, I'm fine, I'm feeling a lot better than I was. I'm just really sore and stiff, I'll be better with some rest."

Neji tsked and took a serious look at Sakura. "You took a very nasty fall and I can guarantee that you're going to be hurting in the morning. Please, Ino, make sure the two of you stay in the Pokémon center."

Sakura began to protest again but had a hand placed over her mouth. "I'll make sure, Neji." Ino said. "Aww c'mon Sakura! It'll be like a sleepover, I promise! It'll be fun!"

Sakura sighed, giving in. There was no arguing against that. In fact, it was probably best... Whether or not Neji was kind about it, he really showed that he cared today. He was abrasive and rude sometimes, but he _could_ care! He only wanted her to do what was best.

The two girls walked into the Pokémon center, bright lights welcoming them into the cozy building. Glass doors slid open and a friendly nurse welcomed them to the counter, behind which a giant healing machine stood.

"Good evening and welcome to the Pokémon center! Is… oh my... Are you girls okay?" The nurse asked in alarm, seeing Sakura's dirty clothes and bloodied leg.

"We had a bit of an accident in the forest but we should be fine. I just need to stay with her for the night and make sure she's okay," Ino told the nurse. "Are there any rooms available?"

The nurse nodded and turned to the computer, typing something in real quick. "We most certainly do! Do you need your Pokémon healed?"

Sakura smiled and reached into her bag for Froakie's pokéball, nodding. "If you don't mind," she said.

The girls handed their pokéballs to the nurse, who put them into the machine for a brief moment.

"Good as new!" The nurse said, giving them back their Pokémon. "Do you need me to send anything to your room? Ice? Heat packs? Antiseptic?"

Ino pondered that. "Whatever we need for a really nasty bruise and to clean up a cut."

The nurse nodded and handed them a room key. "I'll be up with some medical supplies in a few. Please make yourselves comfortable and enjoy your stay!"

Ino accepted the key and the two girls walked down a side hallway, glancing at the room numbers until they found the one they were looking for. Ino squealed excitedly and unlocked the door. "Let's go in!" She cried, leading her injured friend inside and over to the bed.

Sakura gingerly reclined onto the bed and sighed in relief as her head hit the pillow. She rubbed the heels of her shoes together and kicked them off.

"Alright Sakura, don't get too comfortable just yet okay?" Ino said, putting her bag down and walking to the bathroom. She was checking out her reflection in the mirror. "We've still gotta fix you up and have amazing sleepover fun!"

Sakura giggled. "Don't worry Ino, I'm not gonna fall asleep yet if that's what you were getting at. I'm just trying to find a way to lay down that doesn't hurt.

Ino ran a hand through her bangs a few times and, apparently not liking how her hair was behaving, gave a frustrated groan. She took out her ponytail completely and shook her hair a few times. Sakura looked over and wondered how the blonde was so lucky - her flowing waist-length golden locks were luminous and thick.

She fluffed it a few times and started tying it back up, this time putting it into a messy bun. "Alright Sakura!" She said cheerfully, turning back around. "I think it's time to get into our pajamas and clean you up. Then we can be all girly."

Sakura nodded in agreement and slowly sat up. "I've got a pair of pajamas in my purse," she said, gesturing at her tote bag. Ino made an "o" with her mouth and brought the bag to Sakura.

"Thank you Ino," she said, rummaging through the bag and pulling out a pair of mint green pajama pants and a matching button-down shirt. She began to sit up and, with a lot of effort and straining, she managed to stand.

Ino was already changing into her pajamas, so Sakura began to do the same. She quickly took off the shirt she was wearing and replaced it with the sleep shirt, feeling like she should be somewhat weirded out by the fact she was changing in front of someone she had basically just met. Ino didn't seem to care, however, which eased Sakura's worries some. Besides, she felt strangely comfortable around Ino and, just maybe, they really _were_ going to be best friends. She could see it happening already.

Buttoning up her shirt and slipping out of her high-waisted skirt, she quickly pulled up her pajama pants and sat back down on the bed gingerly. Raising her legs, she peeled off the dirtied and torn socks one by one. She winced in pain as she attempted to remove the bloodied right sock, realizing that part of it was stuck to her cuts.

"Need help?" Ino asked, turning around. She was wearing a pair of pink silk pajamas. Sakura suppressed a giggle - she figured Ino would wear something like this to bed. Shaking her head, she slid the sock off her leg slowly. "I've got it I think. Thank you."

There was a knock on the door

"Must be the nurse," Sakura said. Ino put a hand over her heart and sighed. "Good. Now we can get you checked out and cleaned up. I'll go get it."

Ino answered the door and, sure enough, the pink-haired nurse was standing in the doorway. "May I come in?" She asked politely.

"Of course!" Ino said in her usual energetic manner. "And thank you so much for doing this."

The nurse gave a courteous nod and pushed a rolling cart into the room. Sakura sat up, eyeing the cart suspiciously. There were clear bottles filled with liquids Sakura couldn't identify, nestled in between several packages of gauze and a glass jar of cotton balls. To the side were several ice packs in various sizes and shapes.

"Is it alright if I take a look at you?" The nurse asked Sakura gently. Sakura nodded, looking down at her leg.

The nurse came up to the bed and began looking at the cut that extended across the shin from below the knee to just above the ankle. She tsked and gave Sakura a sad look. "This is a pretty nasty cut. What happened?"

Sakura sheepishly looked to the side, avoiding eye contact. "Well... I was climbing a tree because my friend wanted a Caterpie and I sort of fell about 30 feet or so. At least that's what I was told. I don't know how high it really was. But I hit a few branches on the way down."

"She also has a really nasty bruise on her back," Ino added.

The nurse looked at Sakura sternly. "Please please _please_ be careful. You could have gotten seriously injured!"

Sakura looked down, embarrassed. "I know... It was silly of me," she said.

The nurse's expression softened. "But I'm not here to scold you, I'm here to heal. And besides, every step of a Pokémon trainer's journey is dangerous, and I think you've learned that lesson."

She grabbed a bottle of liquid and the cotton balls off of the cart. "First I need to clean the dirt off of your cut."

She took the cap off the bottle and put a cotton ball over the opening, inverting the bottle until the cotton ball was soaked in the clear liquid.

"This is only hydrogen peroxide," the nurse said, beginning to dab at the cut. "It'll sting a little but it's cleaning the wound."

Sakura watched intently as the nurse gently lifted dirt out of the long gash with the hydrogen peroxide-soaked cotton ball. She winced slightly in pain, the hydrogen peroxide biting at her open skin like Beedrill stings. The cut began to foam up where it had been dabbed.

"Good, good," the nurse said. "The bubbles mean that it's killing bacteria. This could have gotten infected if we didn't clean it."

Sakura nodded, cringing.

After the nurse had cleaned the entire length of the cut, she covered it in triple antibiotic ointment and went to the rolling cart for bandages.

"Now normally I wouldn't use gauze and things because it's a scratch, but it's rather large and deep and we need to keep it covered so the antibiotic can do its job," the nurse said, opening the sterile gauze and wrapping up Sakura's leg.

Sakura nodded again, still silent but deep in thought about how her journey had been going. She was barely into it - this was the end of her first day - and yet so much had happened already. She'd gotten a Pokémon, met three friends (four if she counted Neji, but she wasn't sure just yet), and traveled to the next town over! She even made it all the way through the giant Santalune forest!

Life was pretty sweet.

Except that she had already gotten herself injured.

"Alright, your leg is all set! I'm going to give you some hydrogen peroxide and antibiotic and some fresh bandages. Change them periodically, okay?" The nurse said, handing Sakura all of the aforementioned things.

Sakura smiled and put them in her bag.

"Do you think you could check out her back?" Ino asked worriedly. "That's the thing I'm most concerned about."

The nurse nodded and waited for Sakura to turn onto her stomach (a very drawn-out and labored effort).

Now that she had been laying down for a little, Sakura felt stiffer than ever, and motion requiring her back brought even more intense pain than before. Dammit, Neji was right! She was going to be sore in the morning.

The nurse moved Sakura's sleep shirt up and hissed through her teeth, just as Neji had done before. "That's quite the bruise you've got," the nurse said, gently tracing the outline with her finger. Sakura widened her eyes as the pink-haired nurse outlined a large (and tender) area.

"Is it bad?"

The nurse fixed Sakura's shirt and went over to the rolling cart, bringing back an ice pack covered in a towel. "I want you to ice the bruised area - this will reduce swelling. You're definitely going to feel the effects of the fall tomorrow morning. Please take it easy."

The nurse gently placed the towel-covered ice on Sakura's back and went to leave the room. "If you girls need anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask," she said, shutting the door behind her.

"Thank you!" Ino cried as the nurse left.

"So you still feeling up for girly sleepover time?!"

...

And so Sakura fell asleep that night with a feeling of contentment. She had made new friends, she was on a journey, and she was only just getting started!

She had a Pokémon - a little blue Froakie that seemed to adore her as much as she adored it. Together they would be a force to be reckoned with, she was sure of it.

And she had found a genuine best friend in Ino. Sakura glanced over at the blonde, who was now fast asleep. They had stayed up late just talking and giggling and realizing how well they got along. And, as cheesy as it sounds, they had painted each other's toenails and actually gotten pretty girly.

She loved every second of it.

Sakura fell asleep that night with a big smile on her face - the first in a long long time, and only the first of many to come.

...

...

* * *

**There's the end of chapter two! Comments would be much-appreciated ^_^ **

**Thanks for reading - Gallade**


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